Laughter!

During a fit of laughter, we immediately land in our body and in the present moment.

A laughing fit is a state of ecstasy and is very similar to an orgasm. You let go of control and magically merge with the moment and the person you are laughing with. A shared fit of laughter creates a lot of closeness and touches the heart. You feel a deeper connection with each other afterwards and remember the experience for a long time to come.

Gelotology (the science of laughter) has found that people who laugh a lot are more optimistic, deal with challenges more calmly and feel more connected to other people. Laughter can boost self-confidence, alleviate loneliness and be a supportive practice for depression.

Laugher Coaching / Systemic Laughter

I am often asked what systemic laughter is and how it differs from laughter yoga. It is laughter coaching that is based on the principles of the systemic approach. Systemic means always looking at a person in relation to their social environment and focussing on the available resources. Laughter is a resource that is always there.

I have researched laughter in practice for many years and founded the Institute for Systemic Laughter together with Julia von Randow in 2018. The methods of systemic laughter are a fantastic extra resource for your own self-care and resilience, as well as for working with clients. They include elements from yoga and embodiment, humour therapy and improv theatre and can be easily integrated into daily life.

The willingness to indulge in laughter, to experience fits of laughter and to laugh at oneself can actually be trained. The more often we laugh, the easier it is for us to laugh. Instead of waiting for something funny to happen, we take responsibility for our own laughter and strengthen our laughter skills.

The systems of laughter:

• Body — When we laugh, our breathing deepens, our blood vessels dilate, our internal organs are massaged and our brain releases endorphins.
• Mind — If we are stuck in a problem and laugh, a healthy distance to the problem is created. We don’t laugh anything away, but take the laughter seriously.
• Relationships — Laughter has a contagious effect. Laughing together opens the heart and creates connection.
• PRACTICE — Instead of waiting for something funny to happen, we integrate laughter into our lives as a daily, physical exercise.

Places for laughter

I give individual laughter coaching sessions and run workshops and training courses for social organisations, at adult education centres, conferences and health days. If you would like to book an individual laughter session or workshop (face-to-face or online) for your company or team, please write to me or give me a call. We will find the right direction for your laughter coaching: julia.johannsen@gmail.com / 0177.5884648

I am a speaker at the EmbodimentConference 2020: Laugh yourself smart: Understanding and using laughter for happiness, creative thinking and bonding